Air cushion arch builder



March 16, 1937; c:A sU| |vAN 2,074,286

AIR CUSHION ARCH BUILDER Filed Deo. 24, 1934 INVENTOR EY m WM/y@ w IIIIss. Y ATTORNEY `Patented Mar. v16, 1937 .oFFicEf AIR CUSHION ARCHBUILDER Charles Sullivan, Springiield, Mo.

Application December 24, 1934, Serial No. 759,097

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a cushion arch supporter and strengthener andhas for the primary object the provision of a device of this characterWhich may be readily inserted in a shoe and with the latter placed on afoot, the arch of the foot will be pneumatically cushioned and supportedso as to strengthen or build up weakened muscles of the arch.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an arch supporter ofthe above statedl character having pneumatic chambers so located thatlthe lifting or cushioning eiiect will be applied to the metatarsusjoints of the arch and the chambers are in communication by a rel5stricted passage to permit equalization of the pneumatic pressurebetween said chambers and to permit the air to pass from one chamber tothe other as the load or weight on one chamber increases and decreaseson the other chamber 2O which produces a massaging effect to the archand also acts to retard the tendency of a rolling motion to the foot onthe supporter.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certainnovel features Yof construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described,

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawing, in which .0 Figure 1is a vertical sectional view illustrating an arch supporter andstrengthener constructed in accordance with my invention andillustrating the same applied to a shoe and a foot of a person.

Figure 2 is a longitudnal sectional View illustrating the arch supporterand strengthener.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a pad shapedto provide a flat heel portion 2, an instep portion 3 and a treadportion 4. The pad is constructed of layers of rubber vulcanized orotherwise secured together to form pneumatic chambers 5 and 6communicative with one another by ay restricted passage 1. The chamber 5lies within the instep portion 3 while the chamber 6 lies `within thetread portion 4. The upper or outer walls of both the chambers 5 and 6are arched both longitudinally and transversely and the inner pad isformed with a flat extension l2, along one of its edges of the samethickness as that of heel 2. lThis part |2,.

so that the pad at the said instep portion is provided With a straightsurface or extension. The heel portion 2 is non-chambered and engagesthe heel of a foot, as shown in Figure 1, lying between said heel of thefoot and the heel tread of a shoe. 5 Air is trapped in the chambers 5and 6 causing the upper wall of the pad to assume a double arch shape,as shown in Figure 1, and provides for the'- arch of the foot cushions,the rear and larger arched portion being directly under the joints 10between the metatarsus and the front bones of the" tarsus while theother front and smaller arched cushion engages the metatarsus directlyrearwardly of the joints between the toes and the metatarsus. Thus itwill be noted that all of 15 the bones of the foot are cushioned andthat the cuboid bone at its juncture with the middle and inner cuneiformbones and that the calcaneum and astrag'alus bones at their juncturewith each other and with the cuboid and with the said 2o inner andmiddle cuneiform bones, rest directly on the rear and larger archedcushion over the chamber 5. The cushioning and lifting effect is placedon the foot where most needed to strengthen or build up the muscles ofthe arch. 25

A suitable fabric casing 8 is provided for the pad and the inner edge ofthe pad intermediate the ends of the latter is offset to form aprojection 9 acting to support the inside oi the first or outercuneiform bone of the arch. 30

During the bending of the foot while walking the chambers cushion thearch and permit the full load to come gradually on the weakened portionof the foot due to the passage 'I permitting the air in said chambers tosurge from one cham- 35 ber to the other as the load increases on onechamber and decreases on the other chamber. This action provides to thearch of the foot a massaging effect and also checks the tendency of aroll to the foot which is apparent in arch 40 supporters of a singlechamber type. The pad I, between the arched portions 3 and 4 of thechambers 5 and 6 has a connecting wall or web I0 which terminates aslight distance "from the straight inner side Wall Il of the chamber 545 and which provides a restricted air passage l between said chambers.The restricted passage 1 permits the air pressure to equalize in saidchambers `when not under load and to maintain the pressure in eachchamber long enough to help to carry the load for an instant and then tolet the full load come gradually on the weakened foot muscles. It is tobe noted that the arched portion 4 of the pad is of a widthapproximately equalling that of the pad so that all of metatarsus 2bones are supported on this pad while the arch 3 is of a less width andaccommodates thereon only the bones of the foot designed to rest thereonand as heretofore set forth.

Having described the invention, I claim:

An insert comprising a rubber pad designed to be arranged in a shoe andto extend from the heel to beyond the shank of said shoe and a fabriccasing for said pad, said pad including a flat heel portion, an instepportion anda tread portion, said pad, at its said instep vand treadportions having inner air chambers whose outer walls are arched bothlongitudinally and transversely and which chambers are divided by a webthat has an air communicating port nearest one edge of the pad, and theside Wall of the air chamber in a line With the port being straight andterminating a distance away from the edge of the pad adjacent theretoand the arched top of the air chamber vfor the instep portion being of aless width than that of the tread portion and having one side of itsedges disposed over the straight side wall of the chamber to render theportion of the pad outward of said arch'straight and flat and of thesame thickness as that of the heel portion.

CHARLES SULLIVAN.

